Universal joint



E. W. GLOVER May 9, 1961 UNIVERSAL JOINT Filed Jan. 2, 1959 'manufacturing methods Vavailable universal joint to'o expensive for production usage,tparticularly due to the shape of thevuniversal joint Vhousing and the ymethods required to'manufacture the United States Patent 2 Claims. (Cl. 'G4-Z1) This invention relates to universal joints and fmore particularly to the type of universal joint having a housing Lwith a plurality of axial openings therethrough to receive theinput and output shafts. and the trunnion and bearing assemblies. Universal joints of the general type employing aihous- 4ing havingshaft receiving openings and bearing receiving openings axially disposed therethrough, have become Vwell known in the automotive industry and are adapted to -a wide variety of applications. Constant automobile design changes require corresponding changes in the component parts, from the standpoint of ease and economy in-manufacture and improved vehicle engineering.

have made Improved .the generally housing. Y

`In universal joints of the type described, the housing has been formed from a casting or forging, and blind boring operations have been required to provide the neces- -sary openings. In using a double universal joint of this great sums of money'inY the production and maintenance Iof replacement parts, -and `the-vehicle user is deprived of the use of his -automobileeduring those periods Awhen'replacements are necessary.

The device in which this inventionis embodied eliminates many of the ditlcultiesfoundingenerally available universal joints. The joint comprises a housing having a shaft receiving opening axiallyl formed therethrough and two bearing receiving openings, the axes of which are parallel to the axis of the shaft receiving bore and spaced on opposite sides thereof. Input and output shaft members extend into the housing, one -om either end, the shafts being joined within the housing by a ball and socket connection. Trunnion and bearing assemblies extend transversely through the shaft members, the bearing sleeves and bearing caps thereof being received in the bearing receiving openings.

A pair of shoes are secured in the housing and within the shaft receiving opening to rotatably receive the input and output shaft members and to prevent axial movement thereof with respect to the housing. The shoes provide a means for limiting the axial slip of the shaft members without disturbing the workability of the joint. This provides economy of manufacture and ease in motor vehicle design through improved universal joints, not made possible Iby the universal joint embodying this invention. Great savings in time, labor and manufacturing costs are realized, and replacement parts and costs therefor are virtually eliminated. The vehicle user is not deprived of 2 the use of his vehicle `because of nonexuaordinary Part failure.

These and other features will become more .apparent from the following descriptionand drawings in which:

Figure 1 is an elevational viewrof the universal jo'int with parts broken `away and insection to illustratethe location of the various parts.

Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view ofthe universal joint A,of Figure `l taken substantially along the Vline 2f-2 and vlooking in the direction of the arrows.

Figure 3 is a transverse cross-sectional View of thejoint of Figure l taken substantiallyalong the-line3-3 of Figure land looking in the direction of the arrows.

Figure 4 is an end view of the joint of Figure 1 with parts broken away and in section to illustrate the means l'for retaining vtheshoes Within the shaft receiving opening.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, a universal joint is shown having a housing 1t), the housing having yflanges 12 and 14 at either end thereof. `A shaft receiv- .-10 to receive the input and output-shafts 18 and20. A

pair of spaced bearing receiving openings 22 and .24, having Aaxes parallel to and spaced fro'm the axis ofthe central shaft receiving opening y1.6, are axially kformed vthrough the housing torrreceive the trunnion and :bearing assemblies, illustrated `generally by thenumeralrz. .It maybe seen thatin Amanufacturing the housing I`10, sa single broaching operation is suiiicientto yform the Shaft receiving opening Yand the bearing receiving openings .-from'the rough casting, eliminating the blind boring operations :generally required.

,An oil and dirt seal may -be provided at either end. of the universal joint, retained thereon-,hva retaining, sleeve .2.8. The .retaining sleeve -has a portion-of decreased dzameter 3G which received in the 4ilange 112 or `,I4-of the housing Y10. An O-ring 32 is provided toppreventoil or foreign material vfrom passing'between 4the Vretaining .-sleeveand thel housing.

.A trunnion shaft -34 is .transverse-ly secured in the inner end of ,each of the Yshaft members 18 and'f20and passes through the spherical `enlarged portions lo6 or 38. The trunnion land bearing assembly `is the usual type, having .a bearing sleeve I40 disposed about Veither end of the trunnion ,shaft :and about an annulus of needle beatings, not shown. A bearing cap-42,;isgreceived'in each endof Athe trunnion shaft 34,and slides along thesurface of thebean-v ing receiving opening 22. The bearing-.sleeve 4.0 rotates about the trunnion `shaft 34 withrelatively vlittle friction when angular movement takes `place V between .the shaft members 18 and 2t) and the housing 10.

The shaft member 20 is provided with a tubular extension 44 extending toward the shaft member 18 and Within the housing 10. A socket lblock 46 is slidably received in the tubular extension 44 and has a hemispherical cavity 4S formed therein. A spring 50, also received in the tubular extension 44 and abutting a shoulder 52 therein, biases the socket block 46 in an outward direction. A spherical ball member 54 is formed on the end of the shaft member 1S, the radius of the ball being substantially the same as the radius of the hemispherical cavity 48 in the socket block 46. The ball 54 is received in the cavity y48 and provides a connection between the input and `output; shafts 13 and 20 such that angular movement of one will be imparted to the other. Ball 54 riding in cavity 48 provides a supporting connection between the input and output shafts 1-8 and 20 such that the angular movement of one will be imparted to the other and cause the universal joint to ybe self-supporting. Since the angles of the shafts 18 and 20 are equal with respect to housing, the universal jointbecomes approximately constant velocity.

l'Io eliminate axial of the shaft members 18 and 20, a

pair of shoes 56 are secured in the shaft receiving openings 16 in the housing `10 and extend substantially along the length thereof. A pair of spherical cavities SA and 60 are :formed in each shoe 56 to rotatably receive the spherical enlargements 36 landSS formed near the inner ends of the input and output shaft members 18 and 2G.

An external arcuate groove 62 is formed in one end of the shoes 56 to Kreceive a conventional snap ring 64 which abuts the end Wall 66 of the housing 10. A notch 68 is formed in the flange 70 at the opposite end of the shoe toy receive a locating pin 72 secured in the housing 1G and prevent the shoes from rotating Within the shaft receiving opening. The flange 70, with the retaining rin-g 64, prevents axial movement of the shoe 56 within the opening 16, and the pin 72 received in the notch 63 prevents rotation ofthe shoe 56.

With vthe spherical enlargements 36 and 38 received in the spherical cavities 58 in the shoes 56, it may be seen that :axial movement of the shaft members 18 and 2t relative to the housing is eliminated. rIhe trunnion and bearing assemblies and the shaft mem-bers are free to rotate with respect to the housing, thus properly transmitting driving torque through the universal joint. The ball and socket connection provides the proper angular relationship between the ytwo shaft members at all times.

Y I claim:

1. A universal joint comprising a housing having an axial shaft receiving opening therein land spaced bearing assembly receiving openings -therein communicating with said shaft receiving opening, input and output shafts extending into said shaft receivingopening, a substantially spherical enlargement formed in each of said shafts and receivable in said shaft receiving opening, a tubular shaft portion extending from one of .said shafts and toward the other of said shafts Within said housing, a spherical member extending from the other of said shafts and receivable in said tubular extension, a socket means including a pair of members hav-ing spherical inner surfaces iand slidably receivable in lsaid tubular extension, said surfaces ydefining a generally hemispherical cavity adapted to receive said spherical member and form a connection between said shaft members, and spring means in said tubular extension to bias said socket means into engagement With said spherical member and take up any Wear occurring in said socket block or in said spherical member, ya pair of shoes secured in said shaft receiving opening in said housing and extending along the length thereof 'and secured at opposite ends of said `shaft receiving opening and externally thereof, each of said shoes having a pair of spaced spherical cavities to rotatably receive said spherical enlargements and prevent axial movement of said shafts relative to said housing'and a trumncn and bearing assembly secured in each of said shafts and extending into said bearing receiving openings to allow relatively frictionless angular movement of said shafts with respect to said housing.

2. In a universal joint, the combination comprising a one-piece housing, vinput and output shafts extending into said housing, :ball and socket connecting means said housing and joining said input and output shafts, and means `for preventing axial movement of said shafts with respect to said housing; said housing having la shaft receiving opening centrally formed therethrough and a pair of :bearing 4receiving openings on opposite sides of said shaft receiving opening; said input and output's-hafts including spherically formed enlargements near the ends thereof within said housing, 'a tubular extension formed from one of said shaft members and extending toward the other of said shaft members and said housing, a spherical member extending ffrom the other-of said shaft members and receivable in said tubular extension, a socket means including a pair of members having generally spherical inner surfaces and slidingly receivable in said tubular extension, said inner surfaces delining a generally hemispherical cavity receiving said spherical member to rform a connection between said shaft members, and spring means in said tubular extension to bias said socket means into engagement with said spherical member and take up any Wear occurring in said socket block or in said spherical member; said means for preventing axial movement of sai-d shafts including -a pair of shoes secured in said housing and in said 4shaft receiving opening and extending along the length thereof yand hav ing axially spaced hemispherical cavities formed therein to rotatably receive said spherical enlargements formed on said shaft mem-bers, said shoes retaining said spherical enlargements and said shafts in fixed laxial position within said housing and allowing relative oscillation of said shaft members with respect to said housing for torque transmission from one of said shafts to the other.

References Cited in the of this patent UNITED STATE 'i TENTS www fr 

